1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to material-rack safety systems, and more particularly to easy-to-disconnect safety cables that restrain vertical stands of board and stick materials in divided display racks.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical warehouse retail store, like The Home Depot, has divided racks for displaying wood moldings, corrugated roofing, and lumber, where the material is stood on-end and tilted-in to stay put. But very little keeps the 6-20 foot long pieces in place in their divided racks. Not stacking the material right, bumping it, or an earthquake could result in a lot of heavy, dangerous material raining down on customers and workers.
So a number of devices have been developed in the prior art to keep such material in their divided racks. Those devices that are too difficult to be installed, don""t get installed. Those that are too difficult to secure, don""t get secured. And those mechanisms that are too difficult to disconnect or open can impede sales, or make the customer seek store-employee help. All of these things can work against the retail sales concept of self-help customers in warehouse stores.
A latched beam-to-column storage rack connector is described by Charles Highsmith, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,045, issued Apr. 29, 1997. Here an improved hook-and-peg arrangement is disclosed. The problem of bumping the retaining bar up and unlatching it inadvertently was recognized. The configuration described supposedly overcomes such troubles.
Briefly, a safety cable and rack system embodiment of the present invention comprises tubular material-bay dividers with wire-rope safety-cable gates and easy-to-release cable clips. Long sticks or sheets of material are stood on-end inside the bays for retail display. The cable clips are mounted on the front edges of the tubular material-bay dividers and the wire-rope safety-cable gates are secured to prevent the retail material from falling out onto the aisleways. A sliding lock on the cable clips has an enlarged hole that can be aligned to allow a beaded end of the wire-rope safety-cable gates to be secured or released. Such sliding lock is loosely attached, and will fall into a cable-locked position when not held up.
An advantage of the present invention is that a safety restraint is provided that is easy and simple to use.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a safety cable and rack system is provided for retail home-improvement warehouse use.
A further advantage of the present invention is that a safety cable system is provided that cannot be bumped or jarred into releasing the restraint gates.
The above and still further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.